New Print Show Announcment

12 reduction linoleum prints have been selected for this group print exhibition in Lowell.

The show runs through February 17th.

Building Bridges with Art

This past week I taught printmaking to a group of Lowell  kids, ages 9-14 in a summer program called, "Art with Artists".  This children's art program was funded by a Parker Foundation grant written by my good painter friend, Meredith Fife Day, the program's coordinator.

http://www.lowellsun.com/lifestyles/ci_25787762/drawings-wall

For a creative theme, I presented lessons which looked critically at bridge design and construction. The students enjoyed creating bridges using a variety of printmaking techniques: roller printing, white line relief prints, & monoprints.

The kids looked at and talked about artwork created by the likes of Andy Warhol and his silk screened print, Brooklyn Bridge, Katsushika Hokusai's View of Mount Fuji Under a Bridge, The Pont du Gard Roman Aquaduct Over the Gard River, Avignon, France and Landscape with Bridge by Paul Schamberg.  I presented my plein air oil paintings of bridges as well.  

While sorting my own painting to prepare for class, I was surprised just how many bridge paintings were in my inventory.  I have always been attracted to the water's edge and boats of all kinds and so there should be no surprise to see a bridge crossing over streams, rivers and marshy areas where I have set up my easel.

Stone, wood or steel, each bridge is an engineering amazement: some are linear in design, others solid shape construction.  I must confess, I have never been attracted to Jersey Barrier bridges. Ugly! What a bane to the aesthetics of bridge design.  

The photos to the left are "Art with Artists" participants enjoying their 'printmaking' days.

Concord Art Association
Concord, MA

Members Juried I Show
Painting and Sculpture
Juried by Larry Powers of Powers Gallery in Acton, MA

through February 17 
Reception photo of Marsh Willows, 12x16, oil on linen panel. Painted at the Artichoke Reservoir.

Zeitgeist Gallery
167 Market Street
Lowell, MA

"Garden of Unearthly Delights"
A GMO Garden Party

January 29-February 22, 2014

Photo of entry for GMO show called The Plant Athlete, able to leap in a single bound to escape chewing insects.


link to a short introduction by curator

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frBIXRukijo&feature=youtu.be

Now showing at Centro Restaurant & Bar, Lowell

Open Studios at Western Ave, Lowell

How is a working print studio transformed into a gallery-like setting... with extra furniture removed, open storage shelves covered with black drop cloths and white paper, extra display panels brought in, and portfolio boxes open and placed upon the 4'X6' glass inking table. Tranformation complete!

On the weekend of October 1 and 2, hundreds of people strolled through the studio with an array of interesting questions regarding the reductive block print process and my prints.

My 4 year old grandson, Ethan, was on hand as well. He was sitting at the office computer when my daughter decided to do a little wedding gift shopping at Gary Destramp's studio a few studios down. Upon her leaving, there was a rush of people into my studio. I happily chatted wawy.

When the studio emptied, I found Ethan holding a ball point pen and my guest book with a most delicious smile on his face. There on the book's pages was a familiar drawing motif of his, TORNADOS. I looked around and found more swirling, triangular forms, gyrating across post cards, price lists, anything that could be considered a drawing surface.

Then....my eyes were upon a print in progress at my workbench; an 'open studio' demonstration complete with carved linoleum and printed paper in the registration gig. There on the print, I see tornados drawn with such passion as only a little four year old could draw.

I immediately sat down... called him over to me. I wrapped my grandmotherly arms around that happy, proud little boy and told him, "I love you!" Nothing is as precious as grandchildren.

(Ethan, 1.5 years old, already a connoiseur of his Nana's plein air paintings).